How many pieces?

gasket said:
Sorry for my ignorance but if I don't ask (and google about as I have unsuccessfully) I'll never know ... What's the difference between an "input" jack and an "output" jack?
I figured at the guitar, signal leaving, one would have an output jack and at the other end (be it the amp or another device) an input jack.
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You are correct.

Guitarists often refer to the guitar’s jack as an “input” jack because the cable is plugged into the jack.

However, jacks are correctly named according to signal flow.

The jack on the guitar is an output jack. The jack on the amp, where the other end of the cable connects, is an input jack.

Conversely, the “gender” of the connection is determined by the physical construction, regardless of signal flow. The jacks on both the guitar and amp are “female” connections and both cable ends are “male” connections.
 
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So by construction input & output are the same?
It's the application that makes one or the other?
 
gasket said:
So by construction input & output are the same?
It's the application that makes one or the other?
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Right. The application, as determined by signal flow, determine if a connection point (whether the plug or jack) is to be named an “input” or an “output”.

It is true that in very many cases, the male connector is the output and the female connector is the input. Mic cables and connectors (XLR) are like this. Almost always, XLR connections are oriented so the male is the output and the female is the input. But, other situations, like 1/4 inch instrument cables and connections, aren’t so cut-and-dried.
 
Probably splitting hairs here but, in our guitar to lead to amp situation starting from the guitar we have ...
Guitar output jack to input plug to lead to output plug to amp input jack?
I see why it's just so much easier to (incorrectly) say "input" whatever for both ends :-)
 
gasket said:
Probably splitting hairs here but, in our guitar to lead to amp situation starting from the guitar we have ...
Guitar output jack to input plug to lead to output plug to amp input jack?
I see why it's just so much easier to (incorrectly) say "input" whatever for both ends :)
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Yeah. I suppose it comes down to how much of a geek you are about these things. My Geek-O-Meter tends to run pretty high on these types of discussions!
 
smitty_p said:
My Geek-O-Meter tends to run pretty high on these types of discussions!
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I'd never call myself a "Geek" as that implies knowledge beyond the norm on a subject.
I try to be correct with the small amount of knowledge acquired. This desire usually ends up with me shooting myself in the foot :-(
 
gasket said:
Sorry for my ignorance but if I don't ask (and google about as I have unsuccessfully) I'll never know ... What's the difference between an "input" jack and an "output" jack?
I figured at the guitar, signal leaving, one would have an output jack and at the other end (be it the amp or another device) an input jack.
Click to expand...

Technically speaking, it's just a 1/4" jack in my opinion....
 
Amps always have an "innie", guitars an "outie", easy enough.
The hard part is keeping track of which end of the cable is the input or output.
:io:
 
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